It is quite likely that, having visited the Canary Islands or not, you know the benefits of mojo, the most popular sauce of the archipelago. Perfect to accompany the traditional wrinkled potatoes (or potatoes), among many other dishes. And it is that, although the binomial mojo-papa is the best known, it is not the only one.
This traditional sauce is a fundamental hallmark of the Canarian gastronomy. Every day in the Canary Islands, an infinity of dishes based on fish, white meat and/or vegetables are enhanced with a mojo at their side. And it is not surprising because it is a delight and it takes zero seconds to prepare.
To make this sauce, a combination of oil, vinegar and garlic is used. The addition of other ingredients to this base mixture results in the differentiation of the mojos in reds and greens, soft and spicy (or spicy). The red ones: with peppers, with or without tomato, the green ones: with parsley and cilantro, they can also have avocado.
To the red and green mojos, which are the most common, is added a wide range of mojo recipes that include surprising ingredients: cheeses, almonds, chillies, all kinds of herbs or condiments and even fruit.
Red mojos are a good complement to foods with an intense flavor: all kinds of meats, offal, sardines, mackerel, among others. And the green mojos are usually served with vegetables, shellfish and white fish -mild flavor-. But, definitively, the main and indispensable companion of the mojos is the Canarian wrinkled potato.
everyone makes it in their own way, but the genius of this sauce is that they all retain the essence of the mojo. Their variety and popularity are due to how simple it is to prepare them, their peculiar flavor and how versatile they are when accompanying other foods.
How to make Canarian mojo
To make a mojo the old-fashioned way, you need a mortar or pestle. The ingredients are crushed by hand, raw, allowing each one to retain its personality and maintain all its vitamins, resulting in very healthy results. Although there is always an exception to the rule, in this case it is the mojo palmero that has fried garlic.
However, there is a way to prepare green mojo that is easier and, above all, that it requires zero physical effort. The only requirement is to have a hand blender and follow the recipe that we give you below. In five minutes you will have the sauce ready for consumption.
Wash the cilantro well and dry it. Peel the garlic cloves. We remove the seeds from the hot pepper or the chilli pepper (only if we want a spicy mojo, otherwise we do without this ingredient).
We introduce the three previous ingredients in the glass of a blender and add the vinegar, cumin and a pinch of salt. Blend until a uniform mass is obtained. Add the oil little by little, whisking constantly until the sauce emulsifies.
Conservation and replacements
The green mojo can be used immediately. Although, if we have leftovers or we are going to use it later, the ideal is to store it in a jar hermetically sealed and inside the fridge. It lasts in good condition between four and five days.
To this basic formula can be added green pepper and/or parsley, combining the amounts to taste. Likewise, parsley is a good substitute for cilantro for those who are not fond of this herb.
In what recipes can we use the canary green mojo
In addition to traditional Canarian recipes, green mojo goes well with all kinds of vegetables, poultry, shellfish and white fish (mild flavors), whether roasted, boiled, grilled or grilled. Here are some proposals.
Cover photo | istock
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